Chip fuel feeder

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for feeding a fuel, characterized as irregularly shaped fuel chips, from a storage bin to a burner of a cooking grill, includes a conveyance having a plurality of vanes movable from a first position proximate to a fuel source to a second position proximate to a fuel delivery chute leading to the burner. A fuel supply is arranged to feed the fuel to the first position. A chute is arranged having a first end proximate to the second position and a second end proximate to the burner for delivery of the fuel from the vanes at the second position to the burner. The vanes are arranged to scoop up the fuel from the fuel source at the first position, and to deposit the fuel at the second position into the first end of the chute.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to cooking grills, and more particularly to an apparatus for feeding a fuel, characterized as irregularly shaped fuel chips, from a storage bin to a burner of a cooking grill.

BACKGROUND

The present invention concerns cooking grills, and more particularly to an apparatus for feeding a fuel from a storage bin to a burner of a cooking grill.

Cooking grills are known to employ a variety of types of fuel, including wood fuels, charcoal, gas and electric. Pellet grills employ a pelletized fuel source, typically comprising a wood particulate product such as saw dust compacted into a uniform pellet form. Advantageously, such pelletized fuels are well suited to mechanical or automatic feed devices such that the fuel can be fed continuously, and in a controlled manner, to the grill's burner. The ability to control the fuel fed to the burner allows for automated control of the grill's fire, such that precise automated temperature control of the grill can be achieved for cooking. Also, the automated feed of fuel to the burner can provide convenience for prolonged cooking, since the grill is automatically refueled as opposed to a charcoal or wood fired grill where fuel must be manually replenished as the fuel is consumed.

However, pelletized fuels tend to be relatively high in cost due to the processing required to pelletize the fuel. While wood chips would make an ideal fuel, known automatic feed devices that are suitable for pelletized fuels (such as well-known augur feed systems) are not well suited to feed wood chips, because wood chips tend to be of quite random shapes and sizes resulting in a tendency to jam in known augur feed systems, resulting in disruption of the fuel feeding process and possible damage to the feeding system.

Hence, it is desirable to provide an automated fuel feeding system that is adapted and suitable for automated feeding of a fuel, characterized as irregularly shaped fuel chips such as wood chips, to the burner of a grill.

SUMMARY

An apparatus for feeding a fuel, characterized as irregularly shaped fuel chips, from a storage bin to a burner of a cooking grill comprises a conveyance having a plurality of vanes movable from a first position proximate to a fuel source to a second position proximate to a fuel delivery chute leading to the burner.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the conveyance comprises a wheel having an outer periphery whereupon are formed a series of vanes, wherein the vanes are movable along a path of the wheel's periphery from the first position proximate to a fuel source to the second position proximate to a fuel delivery chute, and wherein the vanes are adapted to scoop up the fuel at the first position and to empty the fuel at the second position into the chute.

In another aspect, the conveyance comprises a wheel having an outer periphery, wherein said vanes are movable along a path of said outer periphery.

In yet another aspect, said wheel is a rotating wheel.

In a further aspect, said fuel supply comprises a fuel hopper having a storing portion adapted to contain a supply of fuel, and a delivery portion having an outlet from which fuel is fed to said first position.

In yet a further aspect, the fuel hopper comprises a bumping plate arranged to momentarily shake or disturb the fuel within said hopper.

In a still further aspect, said bumping plate comprises a flexible or hinged side wall of said hopper.

In still another aspect, the apparatus further comprises a drum housing surrounding said conveyance, wherein fuel fed from said fuel supply is collected within the drum housing proximate to vanes in said first position.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a cooking grill equipped with an apparatus for feeding fuel according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a first side of an apparatus for feeding fuel according to the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a first side of another embodiment of an apparatus for feeding fuel according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first side of the apparatus of FIG. 2, with a drum housing 130 removed to show a rotating wheel conveyance.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second side of the apparatus of FIG. 2, with a drum housing 130 removed to show a rotating wheel conveyance.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rotating wheel conveyance.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate operation of a bumping plate of an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-6B, an embodiment of an apparatus 100 for feeding a fuel from a fuel source 101 to a burner 202 of a cooking grill 20 is shown. The apparatus 100 comprises a rotating wheel 102 having an outer periphery 104 whereupon are disposed a series of vanes 106 which may be formed as upstanding walls, scoops, vanes or otherwise, adapted to collect, transport and release the fuel chips. The rotating wheel 102 is disposed proximate to the fuel source, and arranged to transport fuel from the fuel source 101 to the burner 202, or to an intermediate conveyance further transporting the fuel to the burner 202. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, the rotating wheel 102 is arranged such that at least one vane 106 is, in a first position of rotation of the rotating wheel 102, proximate to the fuel source 101 to scoop up the fuel from the fuel source 101, and, in a second position of rotation of the rotating wheel 102, proximate to a chute 204 leading to the burner 202 to empty the fuel into the chute 204.

In the illustrated embodiment, the fuel source 101 comprises a fuel hopper 108 adapted to contain a supply of fuel and having an outlet 122 from which fuel is spilled or transported from the hopper 108 to the vanes of the rotating wheel 102. The arrangement of the fuel source 101, the rotating wheel and the chute 204 are particularly adapted for supplying an irregularly shaped fuel product, such as wood chips, to the burner 202 of the grill, although other types of fuel including but not limited to pellets, briquettes or the like may be used.

An electric motor 110 is connected to the rotating wheel 102, to provide rotation of the rotating wheel 102. In the embodiment shown, a drive belt 112 is driven by the motor 110 to drive the rotating wheel 102. Alternatively, a direct drive or gear transmission arrangement may be used.

A control circuit 114 may be connected to the electric motor 110 for controlling rotation of the rotating wheel 102, such as by simply turning the electric motor on or off, or by varying a rotational speed of the electric motor 110. A rate of supply of the fuel to the burner 202 may be regulated to control combustion of the fuel in the burner 202, by varying the speed of rotation or by periodically turning the motor off and on.

The fuel hopper 108 comprises a fuel storing portion 116 that is essentially a container having a hollow interior, and a delivery portion 118 which may be embodied as preferably a tapered or funnel-shaped bottom portion 120 leading to an outlet 122. A supply of fuel may be stored in the fuel hopper 108, and fed by gravity to and out from the outlet 122, to be delivered to the vanes 106 in the first position.

In an embodiment shown in FIG. 2B, a cylindrical or drum shaped housing 130 may be provided surrounding the rotating wheel 102, or the rotating wheel 102 itself formed as a substantially enclosed cylinder or drum. In such embodiments, fuel fed from the fuel hopper 108 may be fed through a side opening of the drum shaped housing 130. The fuel is collected within the drum shaped housing 130, at or near the bottom, such that upon rotation of the rotating wheel 102, the fuel collected at or near the bottom of the drum shaped housing 130 will be picked up by the vanes 106 of the rotating wheel 102 and transported thereby to empty the fuel into the chute 204 to supply the burner 202 with the fuel.

Alternatively to the arrangement wherein vanes 106 are fixed to the rotating wheel 102, vanes 106 may be movably disposed on a track or conveyor entrained about a fixed structure, and movable about the fixed structure to achieve the same end of transporting fuel from the fuel source 101 to the chute 204 leading to the burner 202. Such an alternative arrangement may be embodied as a flat, or inclined, conveyor adapted to drive the vanes from a first position wherein fuel is collected, to a second position wherein the fuel is deposited.

Owing to the random and irregular shapes of a fuel product such as wood chips, it may be expected that pieces of such a fuel product may stack upon, or interlock with, one another in a manner that impedes free gravitational feeding to and out of the outlet 122. Referring to Fig. (TBD), a bumping plate 124 is provided to the hopper 108 to break up any such stacking or interlocking pieces of the fuel product, and to encourage free gravitational feeding of the fuel product pieces to the vanes 106 of the rotating wheel 102. In the embodiment shown, the bumping plate 124 is a flexible or hinged plate forming a side of the bottom portion 120 of the fuel hopper 108. A driving element 126 is arranged to periodically move the bumping plate 124. For example, a periodic bumping or jarring movement of the bumping plate 124 is sufficient to break stacked or interlocked collection of fuel product pieces to insure a continuous and smooth feeding of the fuel product.

The driving element 126 may be embodied as a motor, solenoid or other actuator directly coupled to or acting upon the bumping plate 124. In illustrated embodiment, the driving element 126 comprises a plurality of cams 128, disposed on the rotating wheel 102 and arranged to impinge upon the bumping plate 124 as the rotating wheel 102 is rotated, causing a sufficient momentary displacement of the bumping plate 124. Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the interaction of a cam 128 with the bumping plate 124 is shown comparing relatively more open, versus relatively more closed, positions of the bumping plate 124.

It will be understood that the above-described embodiments of the invention are illustrative in nature, and that modifications thereof may occur to those skilled in the art with the benefit of the teachings of this specification, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Accordingly, this invention is not to be regarded as limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is to be limited only as defined in the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. An apparatus for feeding a fuel, characterized as irregularly shaped fuel chips, from a storage bin to a burner of a cooking grill, comprising: a conveyance having a plurality of vanes movable from a first position proximate to a fuel source to a second position proximate to a fuel delivery chute leading to the burner; a fuel supply arranged to feed the fuel to said first position; and a chute having a first end proximate to said second position and a second end proximate to said burner; wherein said vanes are arranged to scoop up the fuel from said fuel source at said first position, and to deposit said fuel at said second position into said first end of said chute.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conveyance comprises a wheel having an outer periphery, wherein said vanes are movable along a path of said outer periphery.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said wheel is a rotating wheel.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fuel supply comprises a fuel hopper having a storing portion adapted to contain a supply of fuel, and a delivery portion having an outlet from which fuel is fed to said first position.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the fuel hopper comprises a bumping plate arranged to momentarily shake or disturb the fuel within said hopper.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said bumping plate comprises a flexible or hinged side wall of said hopper.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a drum housing surrounding said conveyance, wherein fuel fed from said fuel supply is collected within the drum housing proximate to vanes in said first position.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vanes are formed as upstanding walls, scoops, or vanes adapted to collect, transport and release the fuel chips along a path of the conveyance. 